Deadly syndrome began in East, but is heading West

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Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week that an additional $2.5 million in grants has been awarded for research, management and communications projects about the white nose syndrome that has killed more than five million North American bats.

The new investments aim to further the effort to stop the spread of the deadly fungal disease first documented in New York in 2007, and to protect colonies of flying mammals that are critical to the economy and environment.

To date, the disease has not been reported in New Mexico. Staff of the Bureau of Land Management and support groups took precautions early in the tracking of the fungus to ensure Fort Stanton Cave and its Snowy River calcite formation passage were not contaminated. The cave lies north of Ruidoso within a national conservation area. The fungus disease primarily has occurred in the Eastern states, but has been moving toward the West.

“White-nose syndrome is the result of a fungus called Pseudogymnoascus destructans that invades and ingests the skin of hibernating bats, including the wings,” according to the Center for Biological Diversity. “It causes (hiberbating) bats to wake up more frequently during the winter, using up their limited fat reserves very rapidly. Massive destruction of wing tissue may lead to disruption of bats' water and electrolyte balance, and it could be the actual cause of death.

“Some bats may survive a winter with white-nose syndrome only to subsequently succumb in the spring, when their immune systems kick into overdrive, attacking the fungal invader and their own tissues at the same time. Dead or dying bats are frequently observed with a white fuzz around their muzzles, hence the name ‘white-nose syndrome.’”

The service provided grants to 26 projects in federal agency projects to increase capacity for research and response to WNS; for research and communication projects, $30,000 or less each, for non-U.S. federal applicants; and research projects to address priorities established by multi-agency working groups under a national response plan for WNS. Individual awards ranged from $7,500 to $300,000. The $2,541,501 in grants will be matched with more than $1.3 million from recipient agencies and organizations.

Selected projects included research on biological control of WNS, disease and bat population dynamics and education and outreach campaigns.

“Previous research funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has led to major breakthroughs in our understanding of white-nose syndrome, providing a measure of hope that we can defeat this devastating disease,” Service Director Dan Ashe said. “Bats are a critical part of our ecology and provide essential pest control for our farmers, foresters and city residents, limiting the need to spray harmful pesticides. As the disease continues its spread into new areas, it is more critical than ever that we continue our strong support for solid science to inform wise decisions about our natural resources.”

Since 2008, the Service has granted more than $24 million to institutions and federal and state agencies for WNS research and response. About $1 million was awarded earlier this year to state agencies. Funding is through the service’s Endangered Species Recovery and Science Applications program.